Special Things 9: Fishing
by Gen Varel
Summary: Jack likes to share special moments with a special person in his life. The most special moment is finally here. This is the ninth and final story of the Special Things series. I hope you enjoyed them, and I'd love to know which story was your favorite!


**STARGATE SG-1**

_**Fishing**_

_**# 9 of "Special Things" Series**_

Category: Romance

Spoilers: Moebius II

Season: End of Eight, beginning of Nine

Pairings: Sam and Jack

Rating: Older Kids (PG)

Warnings: None

Summary:_ Jack likes to share special moments with a special person in his life. The most special moment is finally here._

Author's Note: This is the last story in the series, and now I'm done with Jack's most favorite things. I'm sure I left some out, but I think I covered all the important ones. Thank you, Buddy, for your helpful contribution as my beta, and to GateWorld for the use of the Moebius transcript.

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are not my property. I have written this story for the enjoyment of Stargate SG-1 fans all over the world. No copyright infringement is intended and no monetary gain is expected.

Sam giggled as she glanced at him, contentment and fondness shining brightly in her gorgeous blue eyes. Behind the two of them, Daniel and Teal'c carried a cooler box between them, each holding a folding chair in their free hand and looking at each other with a knowing smile.

Suddenly, out in the pond, a fish jumped out of the water and Sam turned to Jack with a perplexed look on her face. "Didn't that tape say there were no fish in your pond?"

He smiled at her and quietly responded, "Close enough." It had never mattered whether there were fish in the pond or not. The act of fishing is what he loved, not the actual slaughtering of unsuspecting fish. The few he had ever pulled out of the little pond he had quickly returned to the water.

Sam nodded, understanding his silent point. It had been like this for years. He had rarely had to say the words. She just knew what he was thinking, and he loved that about them. Even when they had been at their most distant — while Sam had been involved with Pete Shanahan — they had remained connected. Estranged, but connected nonetheless.

That was why he had not been too terribly surprised when she'd announced that she was not getting married after all. He had seen the signs. He had watched her get increasingly anxious and tense as the wedding date approached. He had almost felt her distress as the preparations had driven home what she had committed to. And then she had shown up at his house, seeking him out in her desperation, and caught him with his lover. If the look on her face had failed to make clear to him that she still loved him, then he would have been the dumbest, blindest man on Earth.

Daniel and Teal'c unfolded their chairs and settled down to chat and drink beer behind them, and Jack smiled at the sense of completion that the seemingly simple act of sitting with his friends by the pond — doing what he loved best, fishing, drinking beer, and having Sam by his side — brought into his heart.

They had been looking forward to this for such a long time! Eight years ago an unlikely group of four — a formerly retired and suicidal colonel, a brainy young female captain, a heartbroken archeologist and a destitute alien man — had become a team. Their objective had been clear from the beginning: to eliminate the Goa'uld threat.

There had been other objectives, some of which had resulted in successes and others in catastrophic failures. Failing to recover Daniel's wife had been one of their most heart wrenching disappointments. Trying to save her brother and their people had also failed. And during their struggle they had lost loved ones. Teal'c and Daniel had lost their wives, Sam had lost her father and her best friend, and he had lost Kowalski and other friends from the AF. He couldn't count losing Daniel, since he was now sitting behind them, yapping away. But their friend's near death experiences had scarred them all.

Looking back, Jack realized that they had also accomplished a lot besides defeating the Goa'uld. They had powerful friends now, and with the alliances they had forged they had been able to take huge steps toward humanity's technological advancement that would have seemed incredible less than a decade ago. They also had now a much greater understanding of the universe they inhabited, one that had eluded them for the thousands of years humans had existed.

But to General Jack O'Neill nothing compared to the feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter managed to infuse him with. Her giggling presence next to him as she tried to throw her line farther than his brought on simple, complete and pure happiness.

She was no longer beyond his reach. She was no longer attached to someone else. She had finally said yes when he'd invited her fishing once again. And she didn't know it yet, but very soon she'd be warming his bed and making him the happiest man in the galaxy. This he knew with certainty.

"Now that we're all here together, relaxed and with no worries in the world, I have an announcement to make," Jack warned them nonchalantly, not even looking at his three suddenly quiet friends. "As of next Monday, I'll be taking over for General Hammond as Head of Homeworld Security, and I'll be moving to DC to take the post."

After a full one-minute silence, he finally turned to see how his announcement had been received. Sam was stunned. She was facing him, almost out of her chair and looking ready to bolt. Daniel was alternately looking at Jack and Sam, his mouth hanging open with an alarmed look on his face. Jack figured he was wondering whether Sam was going to burst into tears or push her general, chair and all, into the pond. He couldn't quite see Teal'c, but as always, the Jaffa was quiet and circumspect, waiting for the humans to react in some way.

"You're… you're leaving?" Sam finally asked in a little voice, and Jack realized that he better do some quick damage control before the tears shining in her eyes started to spill and Daniel decided that HE would push his sorry ass into the water.

"It comes with the job, Carter. You know I hate DC, but Hammond wants to retire and he begged. Even the President begged, so what could I do?" he explained as if he were talking about having to mow the grass because, well, it had grown too tall. He, however, didn't give them a chance to comment and continued. "So I was wondering, Colonel, whether you'd have some time to spend with your former CO next week and help him find a place to live and a dog, now that I'll be staying in one place for more than a week at a time."

He was looking at her with a smirk on his face, knowing that she understood what else he was asking of her. He caught Daniel's wide grin with his peripheral vision, but could only imagine Teal'c's more subdued smile since he was sitting directly behind him. Sam's formerly stricken features slowly relaxed and a sweet smile gave him the answer he had expected.

"A dog, huh?" she commented, relaxing back onto her seat and turning her attention back to the pond.

"Yep! You know I love dogs. I just couldn't take care of one before, but now…" he didn't finish, watching her smile grow wider. "What kind of dog would you like, Carter?" he asked, his own grin growing playful. "Choosing the right dog is an important, special matter, one that can't be taken lightly. The owners must be ready and willing to invest the time, love and attention required for the pooch to grow strong and healthy."

He smiled even wider when he heard Daniel's muffled chuckle and saw Sam close her eyes and flush pink with what he had to guess was a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. She didn't look at him, her smile still plastered on her face, but her right hand reached for his left one and their fingers intertwined, holding on tightly to each other. Then she finally said, "I'll love any dog you choose, Jack."

Oh, yes! Life was sweet. The world was safe, there were fish in his pond, and the woman he loved was finally, at long last, his.

The End


End file.
